Apparatus for winding tubes



y 1959 J. 'r. YOVANOVICH 2,893,296

APPARATUS FOR wmomc TUBES Filed May 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Shoat 1 3INVENTOR.

JOEPH T. YOVANOVICH ATTORNEYS y 7, 1959 J. 'r. YOVANOVICH 2,893,296

APPARATUS FOR WINDING TUBES 4 Filed May 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. JO SEPH T. YOVANOVICH ATTOR NE nited States Pat;

This invention relates to tub winding apparatus and, more particularly,to an improved mandrel around which a plurality of strips of materialmay be wound in overlapping helical convolutions to form a tube.

Heretofore, in the production of spiral wound tubes an endless belt hasbeen positioned with one turn around the tube being formed and with thebelt passing around drive rollers positioned on each side of the tubebeing formed. This arrangement has not been entirely satisfactory forthe reason that there occurs slippage of the belt on the drive rollersand/ or slippage of the belt on the tube being formed resulting inuneven rates of advance of the tube being formed and uneven andirregular winding of the strips of material into the tube frequentlyinvolving interruption of the winding process as the result of buckling,tearing or other malformation occurring among the strips being wound.Furthermore, slippage of the belt over the surface of the tube beingformed frequently results in the formation of gathers or ripples in theadhesive softened strips of material out of which the tube is beingformed and, under some conditions, slipping of the belt gives rise toscoring, scorching and other surface deformation of the tube beingformed.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a mandrel aroundwhich a plurality of strips of material are wound in overlapping helicalconvolutions to form a tube in which the mandrel is provided withlongitudinally moving outer surface forming means and rotated around itslongitudinal axis as strips are helically wound thereon. It will beevident that with this mandrel there is involved substantially norelative motion between the surface of the mandrel and the convolutionsof the inner strip of material being helically wound thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotating mandrelhaving a longitudinally moving surface in which the relative rates ofthe longitudinal surface motion and the rotation may be adjusted inorder that the helix angle of the convolutions may be adjusted to permitthe formation of strips of various widths into a tube of a givendiameter.

These and other objects of the invention relating particularly to theconstruction thereof will become evident from the following descriptionwhen read in con junction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partially cut-away vertical section taken along thelongitudinal axis of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the apparatusshown in Figure 1 in a disassembled condition; 4

Figure 3 is a partially cut-away end view of the apparatus shown inFigure 1 taken from the left-hand end thereof; and

Figure 4 is a showing of strips of material being 'helically wound insuperimposed relation on the mandrel in bearings 12 and. The bearing 12is mounted in "ice drive chain 26 and serves-to rotate the housing 10 onthe bearings 12 and 14.

Extending to the left of the housing 10 and aifixed thereto is a mandrelindicated generally at 28 in Figure l. The mandrel is a cylindricalmember 30, as shown in Figure 2, which is provided with eight evenlyspaced longitudinally extending radially positioned external ribs 32terminating at the right-hand end of the mandrel in enlarged webs 34mounting pads 36 adapted to be bolted to the housing 10 by means of anannular array of bolts 38. The longitudinal axis of the mandrel 30 iscoincident with the axis of rotation of the housing 10. w'

The cylindrical member 30 is provided at its left-hand end, as viewed inFigure 1, with mounting arms 40 and 42 which are affixed to the insidesurface of the cylinder 30 and extend outwardly from the left-hand endthereof. The arms 40 and 42 are positioned between the radial flanges 32and four short arms 42 are provided and four long arms 40 are providedin alternative arrangement. The outermost end of each of the arms 40 and42 is provided with a bore 44 through which there is passed a pin 46 onwhich there is mounted belt supporting rollers 48.

A plurality of endless belts pass around the rollers 48, belts 50passing around rollers on the ends of arms 40 and belts 52 passingaround rollers on the ends of arms 42. The inner reach of each of thebelts extends inside the cylindrical member 30 and the outer reach ofeach of the belts extends exteriorly of the cylinder 3%) between andoutwardly of the ribs 32. The belts extend back into the interior of thehousing 10.

The housing 10 is provided with inwardly extending pads 54 to whichthere are afiixed mounting arms 60 supporting shafts 62 rotatablymounting drums 64. The

drums 64 lie on longitudinally extending planes inter-' secting thelongitudinal axis of the apparatus and the right-hand ends 66 of theendless belts 50 and 52 pass around the drums 64. Brackets 7t? mountguide rollers 72 around which the outer reaches of the belts passbetween the right-hand end of the cylindrical member 30 and the radiallyouter portions of the drums 64. Tension rollers 74 are provided in orderto adjust the belt tensions and may be positioned by means of slottedbars 76 bolted in position against the housing 10 by means of bolts 78.J

As will be evident from Figure 3, eight drums 64 are provided in radialarray to carry the endless belts in the housing 10.

Each of the drums 64 has affixed to its face a bevel gear 80 which isdriven by a mating bevel gear 82 mounted on a shaft 84 rotatably mountedin the housing 10 and extending through the housing. Spur gears 86 aremounted on the right-hand most ends of shafts 84 and mesh with a ringgear 88 affixed to a sleeve 90 rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 18for rotation independently of the housing 10. The sleeve 90 carries asprocket gear 92 which is driven through a chain 94 by the output of aspeed reducer 96 which is shown as being driven by the motor 24 butwhich may, if desired, be driven independently of the chain 26.

In operation, each of the eight belts, four belts-50- Patented July 7,1959 thev speed reducer. 96.. At. the same, time. that the longitudinalmotion of the belts is being provided, the entire assembly is rotated asthe result of driving of motor 24. It: will be noted that: thearrangement of the-beltsis such that there is an overlapping of the.belts 59; nside, of the belts 52 and that the outer surfaces of thebelts and; 52 extend radially outwardly of thesurfaces of the ribs 32;The ribs 32 are, however, of suchheight as to retain the outer reachesof the belts in parallel longitudinally extending relation.

When a, tube is to be formed" on; the; tube forming apparatus, aplurality of individual. strips of material, such, as paper or othersuitable fibrous material, are fed tov the mandrel in. partialoverlapping relation. such as that of. the strips. 100, 102., 104-; and106: shown; in, Figure 4;. These strips,. which are; gummedf onotherwise provided with an adhesive; coating on. their; eugagingi cea.are. wound around: the,- mandrel; 2.8: in. overlapping hel calcunvolutions' producing a tube which, is? moving to: the left asindicated by. thearrow l idin Fignres t. Thev mandrel 28: is beingrotated1to turn: downwardly toward the viewer in Figure. 4 and thebelts; on the mandrel are moving to the left as viewed. in Figure, 4.Itwillbe evident that this arrangement-providesfor substantially norelative motion between the. outer surfaces of; the belts and theconvolutions of theinner stripof material 106. Thus the strips maybewound with a degree'of tightness depending upon the; tension provided:by the strips 106-466 and with no undesirable slip'pinggathering,bunching,. etc. taking placeon the; exterior surface of the tube such aswould otherwise occur if anexternal drivebelt were employed to form.-the convolutions and to rotate and. drive the finished tube.Furthermore, this arrangement of internal winding mandrel avoids thenecessity of employing a fixed: internal. mandrel. which isgenerallyemployed in connection With external belt winding apparatus. When afixed mandrel-and exterior winding belt are used, the convolutions oftheinnermost strip must slide over and around. the mandrel. In myapparatus, the mandrel is rotatingand the surface. of the mandrel ismoving to the left; as. shown. in Figure 4, at a speed identical tothespeed of the tube 103'.- Thus there is no relative motion betweenthe' surface of the.

mandrel 28 and the convolutions ofthe innermost strip 106. It follows,therefore, that thefriction andother power losses normally encountered.in tube winding. are reduced to a minimum.

In Figure 2 the wall of the cylinder 30' is. shown as having a slot 31.This slot is provided for theentry of molded endless belts. In place ofmolded'endless belts, chain beltsor other types of belts maybeemployed,and if; belts. are employed. which may be joined after theirinstallation, the provision of this slotis not necessary. It,will' beevident that varioustypesiof belts-may be employed. Hereinafter, thewords endless belts are intended to refer to any ofthese. typesofJbeIts. The word housing as employed hereinafter: is intended to meanany. type of housing orframe assembly suitable for mounting the beltdrive rollers andxn'randrellcylinder.

Itwill be evident that.variousarrangements. of motors and speed reducersmay be employed to provide independent speed control for. the speed ofrotation of the mandrel and for the speed of linearmovement of thebelts. While the mandrel disclosed. herein a. generally octagonal byvirtue of .the eight belts I-employedthereon it willbe evident that bythe employment'of'various numbers of belts, square, rectangularorsubstantially cylindrical mandrelsrcan be providedr Hereinafter, whenreference is made to an elongated mandrel or to an elongated memberextending from the housing it will be evident that the member mayprovide a mandrel of square, round, cylindrical or other desired form.It will be evident that these and various other mechanical modificationsmay be made in the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein without.departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in'the followingclaimsv What isclairned is:

1. Tube winding apparatus comprising means forming a mandrel, meansproviding longitudinally movable outer surfaces on; said mandrel meansmounting; said mandrel for rotation around its longitudinal axis, meansdriving said movable surface forming means; means rotatably mountingsaid mandrel, said mandrel rotating while overlapping strips of materialare helically wound thereon and the helically wound strips forming atube moving longitudinally over; said: mandrel: said longit iu ilymoving surfaces. and: means: for adjusting. the; relative speeds ofsaid. movahle'surtfacezandj rotating mandtel. for adjusting the helix;-angle; of}. the strips: being: W'Ollild into atube.

2. Tube winding apparatus comprising anf elongated. mandrel, meansmounting; said. mandrel for: rotation: around its longitudinal axis, aplurality ofparallel longitudinally extendingbeits: mounted externallyand movable longitudinally of said. mandrel; providing-g longitudinallymovable external surfaces, drivingmeans; including a gear rotatablecoaxially with: said mandrel; for rotating. said. mandrel,driving-means: including; a'-. second gear rotatable'coaxially; with;said; mandrel for moving said belts, said mandrel andtbeltmrotatingtwhiler overlapping strips. of material; are: heii'cally: wound:thereon and the helicallywound stripsforming a; tubemovinglongitudinally over saidmandrelon said longitudinally moving surfaces;and means:driving. said gears andtincluding meansfor adjusting:the:r.elativei speed thereof to; adjust therelative speeds of-saidmovablef belts and said rotating mandrel for adjusting. the: helix angleof the strips being wound intoatube;

3. Tube winding apparatus comprising a rotatably mounted housing,.anelongated mandrel: afiixedto and extending from said housing with: thelongitudinal: axis of the mandrel lying on the axis: of; rotation: of.the housing, a pluralityv of" endless: belts inparallel arrange mentextending longitudinally, of-and: around thewallof said mandrel andextending into said housing. means mounted :in annular arrayswithin'saidhousing anda: gear rotatablecoaxially with: said mandrel for driving:said belts for movement' longitudinally 'ofzsaidmandrcl; means includinga, second gear; rotatable: ooaxially. with: said mandrel forrotatingsaid: rotatahlei-housing and el0ngated mandrel and ibe'lts.supportedthereby, saidrelon gate-u" mandrel and. belts rotating; whileioverlapping. strips of material are; helically wound thereon andthe-helically wound strips forming atubemovingdongitudinallyof :saidmandrel on; said longitumnally nroving: belts;v and 1' means for drivingsaid gears and includingmeans for: adjusting.

the relative speeds the act: top adjust thei'relativeispeeds of saidrotating housing andflongitudinally movingxbelts' for adjusting: thehelix: angie of "the: strips bieingtwound into atube.

References ..Cited in the file. of .thispatent.

UNITED STATES. PATENTS 549,667 Denney Novi 12, 1893 1,580,369 Brake etal Apr. 13; 1926 2,777,501 Fischer Ian; 15,

